Impact of Hospital Closure on Patients with Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional and Mixed-Methods Study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and its measures have had a profound impact on universal access to health services. We investigated the impact of the closure of the Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital (ERRH) for two years on the accessibility to necessary healthcare among non-COVID-19 patients. Methods This mixed-methods study focused on ERRH patients with tuberculosis (TB), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), diabetes/hypertension, and mental illness. A quantitative study used a structured-questionnaire with a primary outcome measure to assess the discontinuation of healthcare accessibility. A qualitative study with a focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted on eight patients. Results Of the 202 quantitative survey participants, 17.8% discontinued necessary healthcare due to the ERRH closure, and the discontinuation rates differed by disease: 48.1% of TB patients, 16.0% of HIV patients, 7.8% of diabetes/hypertension patients, and 4.0% of mental health patients (P Conclusion Our study revealed that the ERRH closure and lockdowns had an overall profound negative impact on access to healthcare and health conditions. Younger patients and those with TB were the most affected patients. This study provides practical suggestions from the field for policy makers to strengthen universal health access during health crises in Uganda and other sub-Saharan countries.